“You didn’t tell him,” Hank said as they wandered back to the ship.

“Neither did you.” Zoe stared ahead.

“I was kinda hoping you might say something so I wouldn’t have to.”

“Are you afraid of him?”

“Nope.” Hank shook his head firmly. “Ain’t afraid of no-one. ‘Cept you, course.”

“How it should be.”

“It’s just … you do want this baby, don’t you?” He stopped, trying to see her.

She turned, a dark figure in the dark night. “Hank, we didn’t plan this. And I …” She swallowed. “I’m scared. Not of what the captain’s going to say. But …”

He pulled her to him, enveloping her in his arms. “I’m here, Zo. You ain’t gonna do this alone.”

“I know.” She looked into his eyes. “And you stink.”

Hank took umbrage. “What? There I am being all loving and supportive and you say I stink?”

Zoe stepped away from him and waved her hand in front of her face. “It’s cigars. And that punch. How much of it did you drink?”

“Not that much.” He put his palm over his mouth and huffed, sniffing in quickly. “Can’t smell a thing.”

“If you think you’re coming to bed with me, you’re going to shower first.”

“Baby …”

“Or you don’t come to bed.”

“That’s cruel. I know damn well you’ll be asleep by the time I get back. Your head hits that pillow and you’re out, I’ve seen it. And I just think that’s -”

“Who said you’d be showering alone?” She turned back to Serenity, walking in her usual stately fashion.

Hank stared, then a grin appeared on his face. This night just keeps getting better and better.

---

Mal was right. It was a bath. A big bath. A big round bath. People could get lost in that bath. And Freya wanted to find out just how much fun that could be.

She turned on one of the taps experimentally, and hot water gushed out.

“Kaylee said it’d work fine, once she got the generator going,” Mal explained.

“Where does the water come from?” Freya watched as steam began to fill the room.

“Pumped from the lake.” He watched her run her fingers over the various fitments. “Monty told me once that it was put in when the house was built. Kinda put up around it. So either they were very keen on getting clean, or someone had some kind of fetish.”

“Really?” Frey smiled at him and then went back to the bath. “So that’s why the taps are in the shape of dolphins?”

“Ah, no. That was Monty.”

“I think I’m seeing a new side to him.” She leaned over and looked into the depths. “Will there be enough hot water to fill it?”

“Heats it as you need it. So ‘less the lake runs dry, the bath won’t.”

“Efficient.”

“Surely is.” He watched her, her every move as she leaned further out, and felt a certain tension, a tightening in his groin. Just the thought that they were alone, no-one else in the house, just him and the woman he’d give anything for …

She turned and smiled at him. “Anything?” she asked.

“Gorammit, woman, you reading my mind again?” he accused, crossing his arms.

“Mal, your body’s shouting so loud I’d have to be deaf not to hear it.”

“Really?” He stepped closer. “What’s it saying?”

In response she stood up, so near to him that he could feel her warmth, and ran her hand up his chest to his face. “It’s saying that you want me.” She cupped his cheek.

“And what’s the answer?” His voice had thickened.

“Control.” She smiled and moved away, going back to the bath to add some cold. “The anticipation of an act makes it that much more intense.”

He growled a little, deep in his throat. “Frey …”

She leaned further forward, checking the temperature and swirling the water around. “So where did the candles come from?”

He was staring at her rear, framed in those tight pants. “Candles?”

“Candles.” She pointed to a bank of them to the side of the room.

He tried to drag his mind up from where it had inadvertently gone. “Oh, candles.” He glanced across at them. “Right. Got them on Ariel.”

“Are you going to light them?”

“Do you want me to?”

She turned off the water, aware he was staring at her and letting him get a good view of her backside. “Why have them otherwise?”

“Uh, sure. I’ll …” It filled his vision, the smoothness, the perfect roundness that just invited him to -

She turned around, her eyes twinkling. “Light them?” she asked, a smile playing on her lips.

“Huh? Oh. Right.” He nodded, pulling himself together. Crossing to the candles, he struck a match and put it to the wicks. There were maybe a dozen, all sizes, and when he was finished he reached out to turn off the main lights, and instantly the atmosphere of the room changed. Now it was seductive, the softer glow illuminating rather than brightening, and he felt the tightness increasing.

“Is it that bad?” she breathed, from right behind him.

“You get out of my mind,” he said quietly, not moving.

“You really want me to? To leave? Like this?”

Suddenly he felt something go, a loss of part of him he didn’t know he had … He turned quickly, finding her close to him. “No, don’t.” He reached out, put his hands on her waist and pulled her nearer. “Don’t leave me.” It came back, like a caress.

“I never will,” she whispered, lifting her face to touch his lips with hers.

“You know that thing about control?” he asked, his voice now husky with desire.

“Uh huh?”

“Way too late for that.” He lifted her up in his arms, climbed the two steps up and over into the bath.

“Mal, we’re still dressed …” She stopped as he put her gently into the water, laying next to her, his hands under her back.

“Don’t care,” he said, looking deep into her eyes, before dropping his head to kiss her cheeks, her chin, her jaw, her neck.

“Still got my boots on,” she protested, but only gently.

“Me too.” He reached one hand up to pull away her collar, undoing one button so he could touch his lips to her skin.

Without conscious thought she began to lift her hips to his, her hands on his back, pulling at his wet shirt.

“Mal, please,” she whimpered.

He stopped. “Too fast?”

“No,” she said, a little breathlessly. “Not fast enough. I want to feel all of you.”

He grinned. “Okay.” But instead of letting her up he began to undo her buttons instead, one at a time, taking a moment between each to run his hand down the flesh revealed.

She was beginning to pant, pressing her body against him, feeling the weight of his arousal. She tried to undo his shirt, but he pushed her hand away. “Mal …” She ground her teeth in frustration.

“What?” He looked into her face, his blue eyes mischievous. “I thought this was what you wanted. Control. Anticipation being worth the wait.”

“Damn it, Mal …”

He sat back, perspiration already running down his forehead, and grinned. “Say please.”

“Mal, you are seriously going to come to some harm here,” she promised.

If anything his grin widened. “Close enough.” He pulled off his boots, tossing them over the side. His shirt went next, slapping wetly onto the floor, followed by his pants and his undershorts together.

She gasped at his nakedness, and hurriedly undid the rest of her buttons, pulling the wet fabric from her skin and throwing it against the wall. She almost ripped the bra off her body in her haste, then shimmied her pants down her hips, but had forgotten her boots. She struggled but she was hurrying so much she just couldn’t manage to …

“Let me,” Mal said throatily. He lifted her feet into his lap and pulled her boots off, dropping them to the floor, and peeled her trousers from her legs. He stroked her feet, then her calves, running his hands up her thighs until he was lying next to her again, holding her hips.

“Mal …” she whispered, holding his face.

He sucked her thumb into his mouth, then hitched his own under her panties, sliding them down and letting go so they floated in the water before laying himself gently against her again. “Better?”

She could feel his manhood heavy on her belly, her breasts pressed against his chest. “Much,” she agreed, the word catching in her throat.

His blue eyes stared into hers, and for just a moment he was still. “Frey, are you okay with this? Are you ready?” he asked, honest desire showing in his face.

She stroked his cheek, his forehead, as if memorising every line. “Mal, I love you. I want you. Dammit, I need you. Please.”

He smiled. “You said please.”

“Do you want me to beg?”

He shook his head. “No. Don’t reckon I need that.” He grinned. “Much as you were good at that illusion stuff, I know the real thing.” He pressed her thighs apart with his own and moved between them. “And I have to apologise right now.”

“What for?” she asked, moving her hips to feel him at her entrance.

“I really don’t think I’m going to last that long.”

She smiled, running her wet hands through his hair. “We can practise that. Got lots of time.” She sighed as he entered her. “Lots and lots of …”

Then the only sound was of their breathing, her mews of arousal and encouragement, and the lapping of the water as it surrounded them.

---

River walked through the darkened corridors of Serenity, touching the walls. She could feel the passion emanating from the house, and closer to home. Her brother and Kaylee, Zoe and Hank … and all she felt was empty.

She quietly opened the hatch to Jayne’s bunk and climbed down.

The big man was on his back, still in his clothes, snoring gently.

“Jayne,” she whispered.

He lifted his head, reaching automatically for one of his guns. “Wha … what’s …” He focused. “What is it, River? Bad dreams again?”

She didn’t want to explain, just nodded, glad he‘d used her name this time.

“Come on, then.” He moved over a little, enough so that she could lie next to him.

She climbed up, feeling the length of his body against her, smelling the sweat and earthiness that was Jayne and was comforted.

He put his arm across her. “Just for a while,” he muttered, falling back into sleep. “Otherwise your brother might …” His voice trailed off.

River closed her eyes and let him take her into his dreams.

too be continued